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'real' black powder

gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited August 2005 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
One of my nephews is getting involved in a 're-enactment' of civil war soldiering. They have gathered up a lot of relics and replicas of the gear of that time. He has asked me where he can get 'real black powder', not a substitute, for the mock firing (no projectiles). I don't do black powder, so I could not help him.
Comments please.
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Comments

  • bperdue21bperdue21 Member Posts: 1,457 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    does he want goex or a civil war era type black powder? you ought to be able to get some goex from any local sporting goods store. if you want civil war era type, you will probably have to manufacture your own. i have some old foxfire books that told how to do it, if you would want some instructions.

    I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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  • richbugrichbug Member Posts: 3,650
    edited November -1
    If you can't find it locally, Grafs sells it. It was about $7-8 a pound 5 years ago, now everyone locally wants $15 or more. It is cheaper to buy from grafs and pay the hazmat. Be careful, with this stuff, unlike smokeless powder, this stuff is actually an explosive, and lights very easily.

    .
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  • gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks

    I tried some GOEX this morning.
    I wanted things to be squared away before I called the lad.
    The package I had did not SAY substitute, but it did not SAY black powder..which is it ? Anyway, with a stout wad instead of a projectile it fired off fine....directed skyward at about 30 degrees from horizontal. I'm guessing the wadding might do more than just sting a bit. Not as much of a cloud as I recall seeing previously (a long time ago...long enough for my memory to be not as perfect as usual).

    No other adult would be responsible for bringing the firearm to the school at 3rd period for this little history extra credit, so I said I would (I am just THE coolest uncle). Thanks again for your help... big time.
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  • bperdue21bperdue21 Member Posts: 1,457 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    it is black powder i thought. it is the only thing my dad will use. i think there are 3 different kinds, x xx and xxx. one for rifle one for handgun and i can't remember what the other is for. i personally hate the stuff. it blasts smoke everywhere, cant't see anything for about 10 seconds. cant believe they even thought twice about letting you bring that to school. sounds like my kind of school sysytem. had my letters mixed up.

    I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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  • richbugrichbug Member Posts: 3,650
    edited November -1
    Goex is the real thing, as are Elephant and Swiss brands, Goex pinacle is a fake BP. F grade is for large bore stuff .70 and bigger, FF for 45-69, FFF is for 45 and smaller and pistols, FFFF is for Priming Flintlocks. Canon grade is for the realy good sized stuff.

    .
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